Oklahoma Football: Sooners Need Focus, Discipline From Defense

Many Sooner fans are under the mistaken belief that because Oklahoma is playing at home and will have the edge in talent, the game against the Air Force Academy should be a cakewalk.

Going into the season, it was well known that after Utah State, Air Force would be the easiest opponent OU would face this year.

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While the Sooners boast a school record and nation leading 32-game home winning streak, beating the Falcons this Saturday is going to take a focused and determined effort on defense to slow down their triple-option rushing attack.

The flex-bone attack employed by the Falcons may not be a serious threat to hit the Sooners with 80-yard big plays, but it is capable of grinding out 80-yard drives culminating in touchdowns. Consistent four-yard rushes will keep the chains moving and the Oklahoma offense off the field if they are not stopped at the point of attack.

The key for Oklahoma's defense to stop Air Force will be stopping the first option, the back up the middle, from gaining any positive yardage. The OU defensive tackles must control their gaps, forcing the quarterback to pull the ball from the dive options' gut and keep it down the line.

Once the middle run is taken away, the Sooners' defensive ends must box in the QB, hitting him in the mouth and forcing the pitch to the outside. The ends must stay disciplined and worry only about their responsibilities, trusting the other players to stop the pitch man.

OU's young corners will have to shed blockers and crash from the outside, all the while being aware that, while it is not their bread and butter, Air Force can throw when needed.

By forcing the back to turn downfield where the talented Oklahoma linebackers and safeties are lurking, the defense can limit the Falcons odds of grinding out long drives.

It will also force the undersized Air Force backs to take major punishment and that could be a factor as the game progresses.

On the flip side, if the Falcons are having success going up the gut, it will force the Sooners to commit a linebacker or even a safety into the middle to stop it. That could leave the defense vulnerable on the outside containment where the yardage tends to come in bigger chunks.

It could also make it easier for play action passes to work against the Oklahoma secondary, again resulting in big plays.

That is a recipe for disaster as the Air Force players will gain more confidence if they are able to make it a close game going into the later stages.

So, what does this all mean for Sooner fans?

If Oklahoma's young defensive tackles play a good, strong game, though it may not show up in the final stat sheets, it will be the key to stopping the triple option and grinding the vaunted Air Force rushing attack to a halt.

The Sooners must borrow a page from the armed forces and attack their opponents offense, hammering away until they are pounded into submission.